If you have been injured as a result of another driver’s negligence in a car accident, it is no doubt affecting your ability to move forward with your life – and sometimes in surprising ways. Naturally, you must obtain the medical care necessary to address the accident’s health ramifications, but you also may need to rent a car to help you do that (and much more). The glitch is that the cost of this rental may be on you until you can establish the other driver’s fault and move forward with your car accident claim.
The Other Driver’s Insurance Company
The at-fault driver’s insurance should cover your rental car. Because that driver’s negligence caused your car to be put out of commission in the first place, covering your rental is only fair. This coverage should extend to that point when your car is ready to be returned to you or until it is totaled and you are able to purchase another car with funds from your settlement. Further, the coverage should spring for a rental that is comparable to the vehicle you were driving in the accident (but is unlikely to extend to a sports car). Any amount of time you keep the car beyond these coverage guidelines will be on your dime.
If the Insurance Company Denies or Otherwise Stalls Your Claim
The fact is that insurance companies are in the business of making money, and toward this end, they have multiple tactics at their disposal, including:
- Denying insurance claims from the outset in an attempt to discourage claimants from moving forward with their cases
- Stalling the claims process by demanding vast documentation and/or by simply taking entirely too long to address the issues at hand
- Offering a speedy settlement offer before the claimant has time to calculate the full range of his or her associated damages (including the cost of a rental)
If the insurance company is balking on your claim, you will need to pay for the rental car outright (after checking to ensure that your own car insurance will not cover the cost up-front and pursue reimbursement from the at-fault driver's coverage after the fact).
Your Damages
If the responsible insurance company wants to make things difficult for you, it can, but your dedicated personal injury attorney will address all your losses, including:
- Your medical costs
- Your lost wages
- Your pain and suffering (both physical and emotional)
- Damage to your property, which includes damage to your vehicle and the resulting rental car expense
An Experienced Attorney Can Help
If another motorist causes you to suffer damages in a car accident, Brett Pritchard at The Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard in Killeen, Texas, is a formidable personal injury attorney who will zealously defend your rights in pursuit of compensation for your full range of damages, whatever they may be. We are on your side, so please do not hesitate to contact or call us at 254-501-4040 for more information today.